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Ageless Memory
Harry Lorayne has been honing and teaching his memory systems for more than forty years. Ageless Memory is the culmination of his life’s work, specially geared to our needs as we age. Completely practical and easy to use, Lorayne’s methods can be put into practice immediately–for a better memory the very same day you begin reading!
Ageless Memory includes special “Mind-Power” exercises in each chapter to help keep your mind in tip-top condition, sharpen your creativity, and improve your concentration. And they’re fun! Lorayne’s down-to-earth style and encouraging step-by-step instructions put super-power memory in reach of everyone–enabling you to learn new languages, go back to school, and beat out the younger competition at work.
Ageless Memory includes special “Mind-Power” exercises in each chapter to help keep your mind in tip-top condition, sharpen your creativity, and improve your concentration. And they’re fun! Lorayne’s down-to-earth style and encouraging step-by-step instructions put super-power memory in reach of everyone–enabling you to learn new languages, go back to school, and beat out the younger competition at work.
239 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2007
206 people are currently reading
410 people want to read
About the author
Harry Lorayne
178 books128 followersHarry Lorayne was an American mnemonist, magician, and author. He was well known for his incredible memory demonstrations and appeared on numerous television shows. His card magic, especially his innovations in card sleights, is widely emulated by amateur and professional magicians.
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
March 8, 2016
Harry Lorayne is famous for teaching memory techniques. He has been on many talk shows since the early 1970’s, such as Johnny Carson’s Tonight Show. He taught Ann Bancroft his system to memorize lines she needed to know when she was acting. In his book he leaves detailed instructions how to remember most tasks. Although I haven’t hit age 50 yet, I thought I could still learn something about memory from his book.
He makes it sound like his methods are easy. In theory he is right; in practice I am not so sure.
First, he states to turn what you want to remember into a ridiculous picture in your head. That is pretty easy. For example, suppose I want to remember to login to Good Reads. I could picture that cute little girl in the rocking chair (which shows up when good reads is down) reading a book while rocking on my computer (instead of the rocking chair). So, next time a go to my computer that picture will pop in my head and remind me to login to Good Reads.
That method is like reading a book. The reason you remember what you read when you read is because you are forming pictures in your brain.
He also proposes visualizing hard- to- remember- words into another similar sounding word. For example, suppose you were planning a vacation to Belize in South America but you are having trouble remembering “Belize.” What you could do is change the word Belize to Bella with lease. Then picture a girl signing a document in your head.
He also uses peg words. He lists 100 peg words which represent numbers. For example, the number 1 is represented by the word “tie.” The second tag word is “Noah” and represents the number 2. Suppose you are going to the store and want to pick up milk and bread. You might picture a gallon of milk wearing a tie being smacked with a loaf of bread by an old man.
Of course, you would have to use the traditional rote method to memorize more than 100 peg words to use this method successfully.
You could use peg words to remember numbers as well. Suppose, you want to remember the number -437621. You would have to know the peg words for the numbers 4, 3, 7, 6, 2, and 1. The peg word for 4 is the word “rye.” 3 is the word “Ma.” 7 is the word “Cow.” 6 is the word “Shoe” 2 is the word “ Noah” and 1 is the word “tie.” So you might picture an old lady holding a piece of rye bread overhead while riding a cow wearing shoes and has a tie as his tail pulling an old man with a beard.
One tip I like is to break large number in to groups when trying to remember them.
I also like the idea on how to remember directions. To remember to make a right picture a boxer throwing a right cross. Directions for making a left -picture the communist Soviet Flag. So, two rights and a left would be a boxer throwing two right crosses at a red flag.
He makes it sound like his methods are easy. In theory he is right; in practice I am not so sure.
First, he states to turn what you want to remember into a ridiculous picture in your head. That is pretty easy. For example, suppose I want to remember to login to Good Reads. I could picture that cute little girl in the rocking chair (which shows up when good reads is down) reading a book while rocking on my computer (instead of the rocking chair). So, next time a go to my computer that picture will pop in my head and remind me to login to Good Reads.
That method is like reading a book. The reason you remember what you read when you read is because you are forming pictures in your brain.
He also proposes visualizing hard- to- remember- words into another similar sounding word. For example, suppose you were planning a vacation to Belize in South America but you are having trouble remembering “Belize.” What you could do is change the word Belize to Bella with lease. Then picture a girl signing a document in your head.
He also uses peg words. He lists 100 peg words which represent numbers. For example, the number 1 is represented by the word “tie.” The second tag word is “Noah” and represents the number 2. Suppose you are going to the store and want to pick up milk and bread. You might picture a gallon of milk wearing a tie being smacked with a loaf of bread by an old man.
Of course, you would have to use the traditional rote method to memorize more than 100 peg words to use this method successfully.
You could use peg words to remember numbers as well. Suppose, you want to remember the number -437621. You would have to know the peg words for the numbers 4, 3, 7, 6, 2, and 1. The peg word for 4 is the word “rye.” 3 is the word “Ma.” 7 is the word “Cow.” 6 is the word “Shoe” 2 is the word “ Noah” and 1 is the word “tie.” So you might picture an old lady holding a piece of rye bread overhead while riding a cow wearing shoes and has a tie as his tail pulling an old man with a beard.
One tip I like is to break large number in to groups when trying to remember them.
I also like the idea on how to remember directions. To remember to make a right picture a boxer throwing a right cross. Directions for making a left -picture the communist Soviet Flag. So, two rights and a left would be a boxer throwing two right crosses at a red flag.
December 19, 2019
This book actually teaches you how to remember things. Names. Credit card numbers. Where you put your car keys. I didn't think it was possible to learn how to remember names, let alone from a book! But it works! Last week, I was at a party where I only knew two people. By the end of the night, I was able to give every person a goodbye hug and call them by their names.
And because I knew I could remember their name, I felt so much freer to get to know them and build a relationship! When you don't know someone's name, it's hard to engage with them because you're so self-conscious you can't focus on what they say.
This book is more like a class. It's tricky and time-consuming, and the references are targeted to old guys who like baseball. But I thought the last part made it charming, and the point of the book is that if one old guy can teach other old guys to remember stuff then you can do it too.
And because I knew I could remember their name, I felt so much freer to get to know them and build a relationship! When you don't know someone's name, it's hard to engage with them because you're so self-conscious you can't focus on what they say.
This book is more like a class. It's tricky and time-consuming, and the references are targeted to old guys who like baseball. But I thought the last part made it charming, and the point of the book is that if one old guy can teach other old guys to remember stuff then you can do it too.
May 16, 2024
This book is highly recommended for all those that think they are losing their memories!!
You are not losing it... you are just not remembering!!! You never had it in the first place so you never lost it. For example, you are introduced to someone and two seconds after you walk away you don't remember that person's name. Why? Did you really hear it in the first place?
I learn so much from this book. It will be a book I will reference forever.
Great tricks to remembering lists, names, faces, etc. Try it!!! You'll love it
You are not losing it... you are just not remembering!!! You never had it in the first place so you never lost it. For example, you are introduced to someone and two seconds after you walk away you don't remember that person's name. Why? Did you really hear it in the first place?
I learn so much from this book. It will be a book I will reference forever.
Great tricks to remembering lists, names, faces, etc. Try it!!! You'll love it
February 26, 2025
Whew, tough one. Gave it three stars because, had I not read similar books on the subject maybe it would have been more revelatory. As it was though, I really felt like the author introduced visualization in chapter one, and then gave about 30 obvious ways to apply it using the exact same technique. Was also really hard to make your own examples when you were always having to read his.
A really cool method and one I use, but this just didn’t seem worth a book.
A really cool method and one I use, but this just didn’t seem worth a book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 27, 2017
I enjoyed the Mind Power exercises at the end of each chapter. I'd rather have those exercises constitute the content of a book. At 65, I have memory issues and have tried a few techniques (like association as described in the book) to remember names and information. I'm sure this is a useful book based on the other reviews I see on Goodreads but just not for me.
October 14, 2018
Some of this is dated and a rehash of other Lorayne books, but there's lots of good memory improvement tips, whether you're looking to use them in daily life or as party tricks. It's a little dated, but it's fun stuff.
August 8, 2017
There are a ton of awesome memory tricks in here that I'm now using religiously. Love it!!! Especially for the numbers and lists of my life.
January 23, 2018
Well written from an experienced memory guy. He makes it clear that you can have a good memory, and explains how to do it.
March 21, 2018
Too bad I lost my copy, can't remember where I put it.
August 21, 2018
I find him irritating because he can't get enough of telling how great he is. And the book could not hold my interest.
April 4, 2020
Great information. I should give the information another try. However, I tried some of his methods (without knowledge that the techniques were his) and they did not work for me.
July 25, 2013
Years ago I read a book by Harry Lorayne and Jerry Lucas titled “The Memory Book” that I found to provide some cool “tricks” to remember lists and numbers. Since I am getting older and have a few “senior moments”, I thought it could not hurt to see what the author recommends to help improve my memory.
FYI, Jerry Lucas was a former NBA player; I still remember one of his stories about attending school at Ohio State and having a professor ripping him about not getting any breaks because he was an athlete. Little did the professor know that Jerry was the smartest person in the room and easily received an “A” in the course.
This book provides several “tricks” (better words might be “strategies” or “tools”) for remembering lists of objects, numbers, content in a book, and just about anything else. He has demonstrated his incredible memory on many TV shows and speaking engagements throughout his career by using the tools he teaches about in the book.
I liked the author’s theory that there are no individuals with poor memory; there are only people who have untrained memories and trained memories. The most important item I learned was that most people that say they have a poor memory have never learned any tools to remember things except for pure rote method which is probably the most ineffective method to remember things.
I thought Lorayne’s recommend associating ridiculous and bizarre images of the thing you want to remember was an effective tool. There was a man that coached my daughter’s softball team that I could not remember his name, which happened to be Brad. To remember his name I imagined his face with a big B branded on his forehead – link Brad and brand. I am now able to remember his name anytime I see him.
Lorayne taught other tools such as associating peg words with numbers to remember lists, numbers, or information in a newspaper or magazine article.
I think the one thing that makes his methods work is that you take time to actually think about the item you want to remember regardless of what it is. Therefore the information does not just go in one ear and out the other ear.
I would recommend this book to all who want to learn some tools to help improve their memory, especially those who feel they have a bad memory. I learned from the author that anyone can improve their memory by constant committed effort to use Lorayne’s memory tools.
FYI, Jerry Lucas was a former NBA player; I still remember one of his stories about attending school at Ohio State and having a professor ripping him about not getting any breaks because he was an athlete. Little did the professor know that Jerry was the smartest person in the room and easily received an “A” in the course.
This book provides several “tricks” (better words might be “strategies” or “tools”) for remembering lists of objects, numbers, content in a book, and just about anything else. He has demonstrated his incredible memory on many TV shows and speaking engagements throughout his career by using the tools he teaches about in the book.
I liked the author’s theory that there are no individuals with poor memory; there are only people who have untrained memories and trained memories. The most important item I learned was that most people that say they have a poor memory have never learned any tools to remember things except for pure rote method which is probably the most ineffective method to remember things.
I thought Lorayne’s recommend associating ridiculous and bizarre images of the thing you want to remember was an effective tool. There was a man that coached my daughter’s softball team that I could not remember his name, which happened to be Brad. To remember his name I imagined his face with a big B branded on his forehead – link Brad and brand. I am now able to remember his name anytime I see him.
Lorayne taught other tools such as associating peg words with numbers to remember lists, numbers, or information in a newspaper or magazine article.
I think the one thing that makes his methods work is that you take time to actually think about the item you want to remember regardless of what it is. Therefore the information does not just go in one ear and out the other ear.
I would recommend this book to all who want to learn some tools to help improve their memory, especially those who feel they have a bad memory. I learned from the author that anyone can improve their memory by constant committed effort to use Lorayne’s memory tools.
April 6, 2014
I admit up front I didn't finish reading this book. The latter chapters were different applications of the techniques explained in the first chapters, and most of the applications had no relevance to my life.
But that's okay! That's more than okay, because the first few chapters were amazing! I read the first six or so chapters in a couple of days. Took my time, tried the exercises as I went along. Now, I am very absent-minded. This is not a middle-aged thing; I've been absent-minded since my twenties, though there is no doubt it's worse now. I manage my forgetfulness the usual ways: with lists, with patterns of behaviour, by making sure I always put my keys or my glasses in the same spot every time, those sorts of things.
After reading this book, I decided to try the techniques. I set out on a long walk during which I needed to make four stops. Two stops were errands, and at the other two stops I needed to purchase 14 different items, 11 at one place, 3 at another. To add further challenge to this outing, I was accompanied by two very chatty pre-schoolers and a baby.
Normally I wouldn't even think of tackling this without a list, and I would have to refer to the list multiple times as I went, to make sure I was staying on track -- and would most often find I wasn't! This time, I made a list and took it with me, just in case, but I wanted to see if I could manage without it.
The result? Even though I was out over two hours, even though I was not rehearsing my list ceaselessly in my head (because I was happily chatting with my chipper wee companions), even though I was accompanied by three tremendous distractions, I ran my errands, got every single item on my list, all without once looking at that list.
This accomplishment, for me and my frail/frustrating memory, is nothing short of miraculous! And for that, for the enormous success I had with his extremely easy-to-learn techniques, I gave the book five stars. Even though I didn't finish it. Even though the latter half had no application to me at all. I don't care.
This is an amazing book. I look forward to using these techniques more and more often. Amazing!
But that's okay! That's more than okay, because the first few chapters were amazing! I read the first six or so chapters in a couple of days. Took my time, tried the exercises as I went along. Now, I am very absent-minded. This is not a middle-aged thing; I've been absent-minded since my twenties, though there is no doubt it's worse now. I manage my forgetfulness the usual ways: with lists, with patterns of behaviour, by making sure I always put my keys or my glasses in the same spot every time, those sorts of things.
After reading this book, I decided to try the techniques. I set out on a long walk during which I needed to make four stops. Two stops were errands, and at the other two stops I needed to purchase 14 different items, 11 at one place, 3 at another. To add further challenge to this outing, I was accompanied by two very chatty pre-schoolers and a baby.
Normally I wouldn't even think of tackling this without a list, and I would have to refer to the list multiple times as I went, to make sure I was staying on track -- and would most often find I wasn't! This time, I made a list and took it with me, just in case, but I wanted to see if I could manage without it.
The result? Even though I was out over two hours, even though I was not rehearsing my list ceaselessly in my head (because I was happily chatting with my chipper wee companions), even though I was accompanied by three tremendous distractions, I ran my errands, got every single item on my list, all without once looking at that list.
This accomplishment, for me and my frail/frustrating memory, is nothing short of miraculous! And for that, for the enormous success I had with his extremely easy-to-learn techniques, I gave the book five stars. Even though I didn't finish it. Even though the latter half had no application to me at all. I don't care.
This is an amazing book. I look forward to using these techniques more and more often. Amazing!
July 1, 2013
Memory tricks start with visualizing silly pictures triggers: the first, the strongest. Lorayne uses his choices for demonstration, and advises choosing your own. This, I've done before, but he extends to memorize anything IF you want to expend MUCH effort. He applies the method to appointments, bible verses, dates, speeches, specialized fields: cards, stock market symbols, airports, art, cinema, literature, wine - anything is possible.
His livelihood depends on the skill, mine does not. For me, the required energy is excessive. "Senior moments" are a benchmark health warning, like a sneeze for an oncoming cold. If I cannot remember the name of my 20+ year old niece, I need a nap.
For number strings, Lorayne links numbers first to (sideways or mirror) similar-looking consonants: 1=lL/tT, 2=n, 3=m, 4=R (golf fore), 5=V (Roman numeral fifty), 6=J (soft), 7=K, 8=F, 9=P, 0=S (zero). Images are: 1 tie, 2 no, 3 ma, 4 rye, 5 law, 6 shoe, 7 cow, 8 ivy, 9 bee, 10 toes. A 4-page index ensures fast find of alphabet and Morse code short-cuts. At the end, he solves 29 short Mind Exercises sprinkled throughout.
New information is always rooted in old, already learned. Base a troublesome word on a known word. "Never beLIEve a LIE." "A MISS never MISSpells." Spell-checkers do not catch grammar mistakes, or misused words, like "to" for "too".
Combine common exceptions to "i before e". "A weird person seizes neither leisure nor pleasure." and "The counterfeit sheik thought that caffeine and codeine gave him protein.". Does your spell-checker dislike sheik too?
My alphabet is different than his. Try one for yourself, sample of his imagination and brain stretching exercises.
a ape, b bear, c sea, d deer, e elephant, f frog, g goat, h horse, i ice, j jelly, k kraken, l llama, m mush, n ninja, o orange, p pterodactyl, q quarrel queue, r rat, s snake, t turtle, u , v violin, w wolf, x xylophone, y wine, z zebra.
His livelihood depends on the skill, mine does not. For me, the required energy is excessive. "Senior moments" are a benchmark health warning, like a sneeze for an oncoming cold. If I cannot remember the name of my 20+ year old niece, I need a nap.
For number strings, Lorayne links numbers first to (sideways or mirror) similar-looking consonants: 1=lL/tT, 2=n, 3=m, 4=R (golf fore), 5=V (Roman numeral fifty), 6=J (soft), 7=K, 8=F, 9=P, 0=S (zero). Images are: 1 tie, 2 no, 3 ma, 4 rye, 5 law, 6 shoe, 7 cow, 8 ivy, 9 bee, 10 toes. A 4-page index ensures fast find of alphabet and Morse code short-cuts. At the end, he solves 29 short Mind Exercises sprinkled throughout.
New information is always rooted in old, already learned. Base a troublesome word on a known word. "Never beLIEve a LIE." "A MISS never MISSpells." Spell-checkers do not catch grammar mistakes, or misused words, like "to" for "too".
Combine common exceptions to "i before e". "A weird person seizes neither leisure nor pleasure." and "The counterfeit sheik thought that caffeine and codeine gave him protein.". Does your spell-checker dislike sheik too?
My alphabet is different than his. Try one for yourself, sample of his imagination and brain stretching exercises.
a ape, b bear, c sea, d deer, e elephant, f frog, g goat, h horse, i ice, j jelly, k kraken, l llama, m mush, n ninja, o orange, p pterodactyl, q quarrel queue, r rat, s snake, t turtle, u , v violin, w wolf, x xylophone, y wine, z zebra.
October 25, 2011
Ugh. I got on a bit of a memory kick this summer after seeing a presentation from some past USA Memory Champions. I picked up what I could find at the library. One of the books, Moonwalking with Einstein mentioned "tacky self-help books." This is definitely one of the tacky ones. The first chapter or two consists of the author telling you how great the rest of the book is going to be because he is going to teach you *his* memory techniques that are *amazing* and *powerful*, and you are so lucky to be reading this book and learning his techniques. Page after page of this. I couldn't finish it. The Memory Book that this author co-wrote with Jerry Lucas is much better.
July 16, 2015
It's pretty good. Contains most of the memory systems that I have heard of before, but adds ways to apply them to all sorts of situations.
Quite useful for a number of things. The only problem with it is that it seems to be targeted to people that are older than I am at present (29), so a lot of the stuff didn't apply, but it is still useful to me.
The only sticking point for me is the phonetic alphabet used to remember long numbers and the basis of the peg system. I guess I just don't care enough to learn it...
Quite useful for a number of things. The only problem with it is that it seems to be targeted to people that are older than I am at present (29), so a lot of the stuff didn't apply, but it is still useful to me.
The only sticking point for me is the phonetic alphabet used to remember long numbers and the basis of the peg system. I guess I just don't care enough to learn it...
August 11, 2012
ok, I am not over 50 yet, and I didn't actually practice the techniques much, but I can see that they are effective for any age. Actually, I don't see why memory techniques are not taught in grade school.
October 15, 2012
Read by the author with enthusiasm and style, this is a witty and entertaining way to learn his easy, intuitive and powerful method. Don't buy the "over 50" thing. Anyone of any age interested in increasing memory retention could and should benefit from this quick, valuable read.
April 1, 2015
3 hrs and 50 mins
February 12, 2009
Experienced this via audiobook, and found it very interesting, and many of the techniques were quite helpful in improving my memory.
June 28, 2013
Worthless, worthless, worthless. Utterly worthless.
September 4, 2016
A lot of standard memory techniques. However, too much of the book is name dropping about working with celebrities or appearing on TV shows.
January 1, 2015
This one requires practice.
January 16, 2015
Very cool. Takes some work and similar to reading a textbook but has taught me a skill that I wanted to exist in my brain.
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews